Injury Prevention Routine

Open/Close Gate: Lift your right knee straight in front up to hip height then swing it out to the side 90 degrees and place foot on the ground.  Take one step forward and repeat on opposite leg.  Make sure to keep your shoulders facing forward.   At halfway, reverse the order bringing the right knee out to the side and swinging it towards midline and place foot on the ground.

Jog Forward: Jog back to the start at 25% speed keeping chest up and shoulders relaxed.

Cradle Walk: Bring your right knee up to your chest and grab your knee with your right hand and your ankle (not foot) with the left hand and bring the leg up and across your body until you feel a stretch in the hip. Hold 1-2 seconds, place foot back on the ground, take a couple of steps and repeat on the other side. Repeat to the end of the cones.

High Skips: Skip back to the start. Skip high, not far and exaggerate the movement of your arms and driving the knee up in the air. Land softly and quietly each time.

Butt Kickers: Jogging forward keeping your knees close together and your torso upright, bring one foot to your buttocks as close as you can and lower back down, repeat with the other foot while slowly moving forward to the end of the cones.

Lateral Shuffle with High Knees: Turn to the side, shuffle sideways while bringing your knees to your hips, rotate 180 at the halfway point.

Inch Worm: Stay spread out evenly between the cones facing but slightly offset to your partner.  Place hands on the ground in front of you while keeping your knees as straight as possible.  Walk your hands forward out into a plank position and then slowly walk your feet to your hands keeping your knees as straight as possible as your hips rise up (inverted V position).  Repeat to the opposite side of the cones, stand and turn to face your partner.

Rotating Side to Prone Plank (15 – 30 sec each position x 1-2):  Lie on your left side supporting yourself on one forearm and your feet, lift your body up so that your legs and hips are in a straight line with your shoulder, your elbow should be directly below your shoulder and opposite hand is on your hip, hold 15-30 seconds then rotate to a full plank so you are supporting yourself on both forearms and your pelvis, legs and upper body are in a straight line, your chest should be lifted with your elbows directly under your shoulders (stay level and don’t sag the hips towards the ground), hold for 15-30 seconds then rotate to the other side for side plank, repeat whole rotation again.

Example: 15sec right side plank—15sec prone plank—15sec left side plank—15sec right side plank—15sec prone plank—15sec left side plank

Double Leg Squat (10 reps):  Stand with your feet slightly wider than your hips with your hands on your hips.  Slowly sit back at your hips, keeping your head up maintaining eye contact with your partner, lowering your buttocks towards the floor until your knees are bent to 90 degrees.  Return to standing and repeat 10 times.

Double Leg Squat Jump (10 reps):  Start in a standing position with your hips, knees and ankles aligned and just wider than hip width. Then squat with your arms back behind you and your knees, hip, and feet aligned.  Jump as high as you can while reaching your arms up to the sky, land softly with knees and hips bent and in line with your feet.  Repeat 10 times.

Single Leg Anterior Deceleration (10 reps each): Hop forward landing on the right foot, land softly with knees and hips bent and in line with your foot.  Pause briefly to maintain balance before hopping backwards onto the left foot.  Repeat 10 times and then repeat on other side.

Diagonal Hops (5 reps each side): Stand on the left foot and push off hopping forward at a 45 degree angle to the right landing softly on the right foot with the knee and hip slightly bent and in line with the foot.  Then hop forward at a 45 degree angle to the left and landing on the left leg.  Repeat exact pattern in reverse returning to your start position.  Repeat 5 times (out and back is one repetition) and then repeat starting on the right leg and moving to the left.

Partner Jump Bump: Jog forward towards the cone, side shuffle towards your partner, then jump up and make shoulder contact with your partner, land softly to stabilize keeping hips and knees in line with your feet (don’t let your knees come together) then side shuffle back to the cone and then jog forward to the next cone and repeat.  Repeat at all cones. Then step to the outside of the cones and run at 75% speed back to the start.

Cone Weave (2 rounds):  The athlete on the left starts the pattern beginning by cutting to the right running diagonally towards the outside of the opposite cone.  As you approach the cone, plant the outside foot with the knee and hip slightly bent and in line with the foot and then pivot, cutting diagonally to the next opposite cone.  Repeat pattern to the end of the cones and then loop around to the opposite line of cones and full sprint back to start.